Changes

The Battle of Mersa Matruh was fought from 26 June to 29 June 1942. It would be Generalfeldmarschall [[Erwin Rommel]]'s last significant victory obtained in Libya, following the capture of Tobruk. The battle developed as the German [[90th Light Division]] pursued the Eighth Army as it retreated into Egypt. Rommel intended to engage and completely destroy Lieutenant-General William Holmes’ 10th Corps defending Mersa Matruh, but many of the British units were able to escape in confused night fighting. On 29 June, the Mersa Matruh defences were breached and 6,500 British Commonwealth troops (including those captured in the ''Durham Light Infantry'') were captured, along with 1,600 Indian soldiers fleeing along the coastline to Fuka. In the advance to the fortress and ensuing mop-up operations, another 2,000 Commonwealth troops fell into Axis hands, including 1,000 New Zealand troops near Minqar Qaim. <ref>"It took an entire Italian corps and several weeks to round the Gurkhas up, some having got as far as Sollum on the frontier." The Second World War: A Military History, Gordon Corrigan, p. 214, Atlantic Books Ltd, 2010</ref><ref>"Among them were the entire 2/7th Gurkhas who had fought nonstop for two days until, isolated from the rest, their ammunition simply ran out ... It was a sorry tale, too, for 2/3rd and 2/8th, who had an almighty dash to reinforce positions in the western desert as Rommel advanced from Tobruk along the coast towards Egypt, heading for Alexandria ... There were many casualties and prisoners taken, although around 280 managed to escape and find their way to El Alamein, 100 miles (160 kilometres) away... " The Gurkhas, John Parker, p. ?, Hachette, 2013</ref>

The Battle of Mersa Matruh was fought from 26 June to 29 June 1942. It would be Generalfeldmarschall [[Erwin Rommel]]'s last significant victory obtained in Libya, following the capture of Tobruk. The battle developed as the German [[90th Light Division]] pursued the Eighth Army as it retreated into Egypt. Rommel intended to engage and completely destroy Lieutenant-General William Holmes’ 10th Corps defending Mersa Matruh, but many of the British units were able to escape in confused fighting on the night of 28-29 June. On the morning of 29 June, the Mersa Matruh defences were breached and 6,500 British Commonwealth troops (including those in the ''Durham Light Infantry'' captured earlier on) were captured, along with 1,600 Indian soldiers fleeing along the coastline to Fuka. In the advance to the fortress and ensuing mop-up operations, another 2,000 Commonwealth troops fell into Axis hands, including 1,000 New Zealand stranded near Minqar Qaim. <ref>"It took an entire Italian corps and several weeks to round the Gurkhas up, some having got as far as Sollum on the frontier." The Second World War: A Military History, Gordon Corrigan, p. 214, Atlantic Books Ltd, 2010</ref><ref>"Among them were the entire 2/7th Gurkhas who had fought nonstop for two days until, isolated from the rest, their ammunition simply ran out ... It was a sorry tale, too, for 2/3rd and 2/8th, who had an almighty dash to reinforce positions in the western desert as Rommel advanced from Tobruk along the coast towards Egypt, heading for Alexandria ... There were many casualties and prisoners taken, although around 280 managed to escape and find their way to El Alamein, 100 miles (160 kilometres) away... " The Gurkhas, John Parker, p. ?, Hachette, 2013</ref>

==Battle strength==

==Battle strength==